Collet for telescoping assembly

Abstract

A collet assembly for telescoping pole structures and the like including inner and outer collet members. The inner collet member is mounted upon a first pole and includes a plurality of integral flexible fingers. The inner collet member is staked to the pole by deforming small sections thereof into spaces between the flexible fingers. The outer collet member has a tapped interior threadedly engaging a tapped exterior portion of the inner collet member, which threaded portion is spaced inward from the free ends of the flexible fingers. An interior peripheral portion of the outer collet member is tapered to urge the fingers radially inwardly when the outer collet member is threaded onto the inner collet member. A collet ring is positioned within an annular recess collectively formed by recesses provided along the interior periphery of each of the fingers and is pressed against a second tube telescoped into the collet assembly when the outer collet member is tightened onto the inner collet member. The tube engaged by the collet ring has an OD which is less than the ID of the tube staked to the inner collet ring and adjustably telescopes into and out of the staked tube. An appropriate tool piece is mounted to the free end of the smaller diameter tube such as, for example, a paint brush, a pool skimmer or any other suitable tool member.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In combination, a telescoping assembly having hollow tubular members of respectively smaller and larger diameters and a collet assembly for use with the telescoping assembly comprising: inner and outer collet members;   said inner collet member having a hollow interior for telescopingly receiving one end of said larger diameter hollow tubular member;   said inner collet member having a plurality of integral flexible resilient fingers extending outwardly and away from an end of the tubular member telescoped into said inner collet member;   said inner collet member having a threaded portion arranged about an outer periphery thereof and intermediate opposing ends of said inner collet member and spaced from said resilient fingers;   said outer collet member having a hollow interior;   a first portion of said hollow interior being tapped for threaded engagement with the threaded portion of said inner collet member;   a second portion of said hollow interior of said outer collet member adjacent said tapped portion gradually tapering inwardly;   said tapered portion engaging an outer periphery of said fingers for urging said resilient fingers in an inward radial direction toward an outer periphery of said smaller diameter tubular member telescopingly received by said inner collet member for securement thereby when said inner and outer collet members are in threaded engagement and rotated relative to one another to move said fingers along said tapered portion; and   a free end of the outer collet member having an integral, inwardly extending flange which, together with the outer collet member, completely surrounds and encloses free ends of said resilient fingers to shield said fingers even when the outer collet member is tightened on said inner collet member to secure the smaller and larger diameter tubular members to one another.   
     
     
       2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein an outer portion of said outer collet member is knurled to facilitate holding and gripping thereof. 
     
     
       3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said knurled outer portion is comprised of shallow, elongated grooves arranged in spaced-parallel fashion about the outer periphery of said outer collet member. 
     
     
       4. The combination of claim 1 wherein a portion of an outer portion of said inner collet member is knurled to facilitate handling and gripping thereof. 
     
     
       5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said knurled outer portion is comprised of shallow, elongated grooves arranged in spaced parallel fashion about the outer periphery of said inner collet member. 
     
     
       6. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the threaded portion arranged about said outer periphery of said inner collet member is provided with at least one gap portion of a constant width aligned substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said inner collet member to enable extraneous matter which may collect in grooves of the threaded portions of said inner and outer collet members to be trapped out through said gap portion. 
     
     
       7. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said resilient fingers are spaced apart by elongated slots; the larger diameter tubular member telescoped into said interior of said inner collet member having an end thereof being deformed outwardly at positions aligned with a base portion of at least some of said elongated slots so as to at least partially enter said slots to firmly and accurately clamp said inner collet member to said larger diameter tubular member whereby said collet member is staked thereon.   
     
     
       8. The combination according to claim 1 wherein a portion of the hollow interior of said inner collet member is provided with a plurality of equi-spaced inwardly directed projections for force-fittingly engaging said larger diameter tubular member. 
     
     
       9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said projections are elongated projections arranged in spaced-parallel fashion. 
     
     
       10. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said inner and outer collet members are formed of ABS. 
     
     
       11. In combination, a telescoping assembly having hollow tubular members of respectively smaller and larger diameters and a collet assembly for use with the telescoping assembly comprising: inner and outer collet members;   said inner collet member having a hollow interior for telescopingly receiving one end of said larger diameter hollow tubular member;   said inner collet member having a plurality of integral flexible resilient fingers extending outwardly and away from an end of the tubular member telescoped into said inner collet member;   said inner collet member having a threaded portion arranged about an outer periphery thereof and intermediate opposing ends of said inner collet member;   said outer collet member having a hollow interior;   a first portion of said hollow interior being tapped for threaded engagement with the threaded portion of said inner collet member;   a second portion of said hollow interior of said outer collet member adjacent said tapped portion gradually tapering inwardly;   said tapered portion for urging said resilient fingers in an inward radial direction toward an outer periphery of said smaller diameter tubular member telescopingly received by said inner collet member for securement thereby when said inner and outer collet members are in threaded engagement and rotated relative to one another to move said fingers along said tapered portion;   a hollow tubular collet ring arranged to be grasped by inner peripheries of said flexible fingers for exerting a clamping force directly on said smaller diameter tube telescoping received therein to facilitate clamping thereof.   
     
     
       12. The combination according to claim 11 wherein an inner periphery of each of said flexible fingers is provided with an elongated recess, the recesses of said flexible fingers collectively forming a substantially annular-shaped recess for receiving and seating said collet ring. 
     
     
       13. The combination according to claim 11 wherein said collet ring is formed of a soft, resilient material. 
     
     
       14. The combination according to claim 13 wherein said collet ring is formed of a flexible plastic. 
     
     
       15. The combination according to claim 14 wherein said flexible plastic is flexible PVC. 
     
     
       16. The combination according to claim 11 wherein said collet ring is formed of a flexible plastic material having a durameter of the order of 75 shore A. 
     
     
       17. The combination according to claim 11 wherein said collet ring is provided with a cylindrical inner periphery for engaging an outer periphery of said larger diameter tubular member to provide a gripping force extending over substantially the inner periphery of said collet ring. 
     
     
       18. A telescoping assembly comprising: an elongated larger diameter hollow tubular member;   a smaller diameter tubular member telescoped into one end of said large diameter tubular member;   a collet assembly for use with said telescoping assembly comprising: inner and outer collet members;   said inner collet member having a hollow interior for telescopingly receiving one end of said larger diameter tubular member;   said inner collet member having a plurality of integral flexible resilient fingers extending outwardly and away from an end of the larger diameter tubular member telescoped into said inner collet member;   said inner collet member having a threaded portion arranged about an outer periphery thereof and intermediate opposing ends of said inner collet member and spaced from said resilient fingers;   said outer collet member having a hollow interior;   a first portion of said hollow interior being tapped for threaded engagement with the threaded portion of said inner collet member;   a second portion of said hollow interior of said outer collet member adjacent said tapped portion gradually tapering inwardly;   a free end of the outer collet member having an inwardly extending flange which, together with the outer collet member, completely surrounds and encloses free ends of said resilient fingers to shield said fingers even when the outer collet member is tightened on said inner collet member to secure the smaller and larger diameter tubular members to one another;   said tapered portion urging said resilient fingers in an inward radial direction toward an outer periphery of said smaller diameter tubular member received by said inner collet member for securement thereby when said inner and outer collet members are in threaded engagement and rotated relative to one another to move said fingers along said tapered portion; and   a member for performing an activity being secured to an end of said one of said tubular members remote from said collet assembly.     
     
     
       19. A telescoping assembly according to claim 18 wherein said tubular members are formed of aluminum. 
     
     
       20. A telescoping assembly according to claim 18 wherein an end of a remaining one of said tubular members is provided with a gripping handle.